Many of the Qualities of a Trollop

[hakerh]

The Boston Transcript published an alleged letter from the Shoals in 1843 in which the inhabitants were described as though they were newly-discovered savages. The letter asserted that the Shoalers wore their hair “very long, in rough matted locks; in hue it is whitish and bears a strong resemblance to tow.” Men went about the island shirtless and

Comments

[albreda]

Which Shoals are they referring to? Any theories on what grain of truth the piece was based on?

[hakerh]

Oops, sorry. The article refers to the Isles of Shoals, off Portsmouth NH - the subject of my master's thesis.

The Shoalers' poverty was legendary on the mainland. Much of the population was illiterate and dirt poor: the Shoals had been evacuated during the Revolutionary War, and never recovered. While a number of mainlanders sent charitable aid over the years, an equal number wrote rather nasty commentary about how crude and primitive the inhabitants were.

I'm mostly amused at the PJ editor's gratuitous mudslinging. :)

[albreda]

Interesting. I have UU friends who go to Star Island every year, but didn't know its role in history. What is your thesis on specifically?

[hakerh]

Heh, small world. I'm writing about the rise and fall of the fishing town that was out there from ca1600 - 1876: the factors that went into its creation, shaped its rise, and ultimately caused its destruction. It's largely a sociological and economic history of the rural New England fisheries. I've worked out there for the last 5 or 6 years, so it's a topic near and dear to my heart.

What conference do your friends attend?

[tudorlady]

Heh. Another word I like is 'slattern'. Very descriptive, but obscure enough to not be immediately recognized as insulting.